Publisher growth tactics for election season | WEBINAR
There is no one model or effective way to build a digital publishing powerhouse. There’re different monetization models, partnerships, team structures and the like that need to be considered.
Explore with us the different digital publishing operation how-tos and case studies.
Australian industry body the Digital Publishers Alliance (DPA) released its first-ever report last week, shedding some new light on the conversation around trust in the media. I’ve previously shared some thoughts about declining trust in the media, believing that more work must be done to engage audiences before trying to win their trust. The DPA’s […]
I sat down to write this week’s missive intending to delve into the financial challenge of working as a freelance journalist. I’d been mulling over whether full-time freelance journalists were an endangered species, increasingly relying on other income streams to put their kids through school and keep a roof over their heads. It made me […]
The publishing game is far from easy. The sector has long struggled between audience building and monetization; even those at the top still strive to optimize and thrive. Commercial viability isn’t up for negotiation, and even those publishers lucky enough to have the support of a generous patron with deep pockets eventually need to show […]
Is Google a publisher? It’s a question that’s been occupying my thoughts of late. On the face of it, the answer is simple: Google doesn’t create content, so it’s not a publisher. That was part of the tech giant’s defense in court against an Australian defamation suit. The Supreme Court of Victoria ruled in 2020 […]
Echo chambers, though widely acknowledged, often remain unnoticed in our personal lives. Take, for example, the notion that digital media’s rise is ushering in print’s inevitable end. Perhaps not dead, but it’s certainly on life support. It’s a perception that tends to be reinforced by stories such as The Guardian’s coverage of the closure of […]
After a restful break last week, in which not one odd job around the house was completed (utter bliss!), I’m back at my desk once more, refreshed and reinvigorated. If you haven’t had a chance yet, I’d recommend checking out last week’s editorial note from SODP’s very own Vahe Arabian, in which he touched upon […]
Video Transcript: 00:00 Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well. It’s been a while since I’ve recorded in person, and for this week’s editor’s note, I wanted to share some updates with you. Instead of struggling with writer’s block and spending a lot of time putting words together, I thought I’d share some insights […]
I can’t say I was overly surprised when new research revealed that there’s less freedom of expression now than 20 years ago. A quick look at global events over the last decade — including the rise of authoritarian governments, outbreaks of armed conflict and even the “culture war” — should be enough to explain UK-based […]
The best part of any conference, at least to me, is when delegates get to chat amongst themselves and share their “war stories”. I found myself caught up in one such conversation last year with a publisher whose primary audience consisted of those either in retirement or in the process of doing so. He explained […]
Engagement. That term, along with discoverability, is a key measurement of a digital publisher’s success. The more engaged an audience is, the easier it becomes for publishers to monetize their content. Regardless of the monetization model a publisher chooses — ad revenue, subscriptions or affiliate marketing — the higher the level of audience engagement the […]
This week I held one of our panelist sessions in the lead-up to the WordPress Publishers Performance Summit (WPPS) summit in a few weeks, which is today’s editorial note inspiration. Publishers are always under pressure to find any incremental cost-cutting that makes a wide impact-organization wide. Andrew has gone to great lengths into generative AI […]
The Reuters Institute published its latest annual report on the state of the news industry last week, revealing that audience trust in news media continues to slide. The UK-based think tank’s 160-page Digital News Report 2023 report (PDF download) — built on data mined from surveys of around 93,000 individuals from across 46 markets — […]
As someone who has solely worked in the digital side of the publishing industry, I’ll freely admit that familiarity bias has tainted my perspective at times. It becomes easy to discount the future of print publishing without experience in the space. There are numerous stats and studies out there that speak to the continued rise […]
Between inflationary pressures and recession fears, digital publishers more than ever need to identify industry trends that can improve their business outcomes and reader relationships. There are three overarching themes that dominate the current trends among digital publishers — technological, business and audience development. Digital publications are embracing AI to boost performance and efficiency, while […]
Last week’s Google I/O 2023 keynote speech managed to set off fresh AI alarm bells in the publishing community that I’m not convinced were justified. We’ve seen various warnings about the dangers and opportunities of AI in the months since ChatGPT launched. Some publishers are investing in dedicated AI teams while others mutter darkly about […]
This month, Google announced the April 2023 reviews update, which changed “product review” guidance to “review” guidance. While seemingly a small change in wording, it is, in fact, a big change. Review articles are no longer limited to products and now include services, media, destinations, games, movies, and other topics. In this session, Vahe Arabian, […]
2nd Annual
Monetization Week
The Convergence of Innovation and Strategy: Publisher Monetization in 2025.
A 5-day online event exploring the future of publisher revenue models.
May 19 – 23, 2025
Online Event
